Tiago CHALLENGES Matas & Caleb! Noa At CENTER?! Bulls Preseason Gets REAL Tonight

Chicago Bulls preseason basketball is finally here, and Tiago Splitter has already made it clear what he wants to see from Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson: stop reacting and start dictating games. 👀🐂
On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer preview Chicago’s first preseason action and break down Splitter’s challenge to the Bulls’ two young forwards.
Tiago is not judging Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson simply by how many points they score. He wants physicality, aggressive closeout attacks, rebounding, communication, one-on-one defense, and a mindset that forces opponents to react to them.
That creates a bigger question heading into preseason: are Matas and Caleb ready to become players who dictate NBA games instead of just flashing talent?
The guys discuss what aggression should actually look like for both players, how much freedom Caleb should get to play through mistakes, and whether Matas needs to become a more forceful offensive presence this season. They also look at how Chicago’s pressure defense and transition attack could benefit from both forwards rebounding and immediately pushing the pace.
Haize and Pat then dive into one of the most interesting developments created by Chicago’s frontcourt injuries: Noa Essengue potentially getting minutes at center.
With Nic Claxton sidelined and Zach Collins still working his way back, the Bulls could experiment with smaller lineups featuring Essengue or Caleb Wilson at the five. Could Noa’s mobility, length, transition ability, and switchability eventually make small-ball center his cleanest pathway to NBA minutes?
Or would asking him to learn another position this early complicate his development?
Plus, the guys react to CBS Sports ranking Tiago Splitter 21st among NBA head coaches entering the season.
Splitter has received plenty of praise from Bulls fans for his defensive philosophy, player development approach, pace, and the physical culture he is trying to build. But the national view remains more cautious.
Is No. 21 fair? And what would Tiago have to accomplish in Year 1 with Chicago to prove he belongs among the NBA’s top 15 coaches?
Topics Include:
- Tiago Splitter challenging Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson
- What it means to “dictate” an NBA game
- Caleb Wilson playing through rookie mistakes
- Matas Buzelis becoming a more aggressive scorer
- Bulls pressure defense and transition identity
- Noa Essengue getting small-ball center minutes
- Could Noa’s long-term role actually be at the five?
- Frontcourt opportunities with Nic Claxton out
- Bulls preseason opener expectations
- CBS Sports ranking Tiago Splitter No. 21
- Is Tiago Splitter being overrated or underrated?
- What success should look like for Tiago in Year 1
Training camp talk is over. Now Bulls fans finally get to see whether the physicality, defensive aggression, development, and new identity Tiago Splitter has preached actually show up against another NBA team.
🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Tiago’s challenge to Matas and Caleb, the Noa Essengue-at-center experiment, and whether Chicago’s new head coach deserves more respect than his No. 21 national ranking.

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